Aircraft seating arrangements in which seat units face in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, and are arranged in-line with one another are well known and are still commonly found in economy class seating. Various seating arrangements that seek to more efficiently pack seat units have been suggested. In recent years, there has been a particular focus towards efficiently packing convertible seat units that have both a seat configuration, and a bed configuration. These convertible seat units are typically provided in business class or first class cabins of an aircraft. In the seat configuration, the seat unit typically provides a relatively upright seat, whereas in the bed configuration, the seat unit tends to form a substantially planar surface for supporting the passenger. The seat units shown in GB2326824 (British Airways) and WO03013903 (Virgin Atlantic) are examples of such convertible seat units (often referred to as having ‘lie-flat’ seats) that have both a seat configuration, and a flat-bed configuration which offers improved comfort over a reclined seat. Lie-flat seats have been increasingly popular over the last decade or so.
GB2326824 and WO03013903 mentioned above are examples of so-called herringbone arrangements in which the seats are at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. By angling the seat units in such a way, the packing efficiency may be increased. Some examples of other suggested seating arrangements are described below:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,918,504 (Thompson) discloses an aircraft cabin in which there are rows of seat units, each unit having a forward facing lie-flat seat that faces in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cabin. Successive rows of seats are staggered in a transverse direction such that a console between two seat units in one row, is directly in front of a seat unit in the row behind. The console provides an enclosed foot-well for that rear seat unit.
WO 2009/073244 (BE Aerospace) discloses an aircraft cabin in which pairs of seat units are angled outwardly to the longitudinal axis of the cabin by about 15 degrees. As with U.S. Pat. No. 7,918,504 the feet of a passenger in one seat unit may be accommodated in a foot-well that is located between the two seat units in the row in front.
WO0021831 (British Airways) discloses a seating arrangement in which the seats are all orientated parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and in-line with the seat units of the adjacent row. However, pairs of neighbouring seat units in a row face in opposite directions. When converted into a bed configuration, the legs of an occupant of one seat may be placed in an extension space that extends over the seating space of the adjacent (oppositely facing) seat. WO2007072045 discloses a similar arrangement of rows of in-line seat units that face opposite directions.
Privacy and the clear ownership of personal space are becoming an increasingly important issue with passengers. Whilst many of the above-mentioned arrangements may improve the packing efficiency of the seat units, they may afford relatively low levels of privacy. In particular, where the seat unit are arranged in rows of two or more adjacent seats, the passenger of a non-aisle-seat tends to need to step over part of the adjacent seat unit (e.g. part of the flat bed when the seat is in a bed configuration) in order to access/exit their seat unit. This can detrimentally affect the feeling of privacy and personal space for the passengers in one or both of the relevant seat units. Some arrangements have been proposed that increase the personal space available (for example by having the seat units far apart). WO2011/141134 (Recaro) discloses an arrangement of spaced-apart groups of seats, in which each group has a central seat unit that is offset with respect to at least one adjacent outer seat unit; as a result of this offset the central seat unit has obstacle free access to at least one cabin aisle. Such arrangements tend to come at the cost of the packing efficiency being reduced. It is desirable to increase the feeling of privacy and personal space for the passengers, but without detrimentally affecting, and more preferably whilst improving, the packing efficiency of the seating.